Four of the world’s largest bus and
engine manufacturers have committed to make it easier for major cities
to purchase buses equipped with low emissions technologies, in order to
tackle climate change and toxic air pollution. BYD, Cummins, Scania and
Volvo Buses will ensure ‘soot-free’ engine technology is available for
purchase in 20 megacities beginning in 2018. The manufacturers will each
release through their websites a full product portfolio available in
each city and will begin publicly reporting the number of soot-free
buses sold in each year.

Soot free is defined as including any engine that meets Euro VI norms
first established in Europe or EPA 2010 norms first established in the
United States, and any diesel engine with a diesel particulate filter,
gas-powered engine, or a dedicated electric drive engine. Further
reductions in climate impacts of soot-free buses are achievable with
low-carbon fuels and engines that deliver the lowest lifecycle
greenhouse gas emissions.

Less than 20% of all buses sold globally meet the definition of
soot-free, with the vast majority being diesel powered. Older generation
diesel technology produces high levels of black carbon emissions, or
soot, which are amongst the most dangerous pollutants for public health
and a major contributor to climate change. The cleanest buses today can
reduce these emissions by more than 99 percent.

The Global Industry Partnership on Soot-Free Clean Bus Fleets is an
initiative led by C40 Cities, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC),
and International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), Centro Mario
Molina Chile and UN Environment. The commitment was announced at the
CCAC Clean Buses for Clean Air Workshop in Paris.

"In Santiago, air pollution has been a prime challenge for the last
three decades and buses are the major source for particulate matter and
NOx pollution in the city,” said Governor of Santiago, Claudio Orrego.
“Santiago was the first city in the country to commit to soot-free bus
technology. But we can only succeed in creating cleaner air if we
collaborate with the private sector to make this happen. I am pleased to
see the global bus industry respond with their own commitment to bring
these sustainable and clean buses to our cities. I’m confident with this
commitment matched by the actions in our cities we will soon see the
rapid end of high polluting buses on our streets.”

“I
welcome the commitment of these bus manufacturers to respond to the
desire of mayors to make cleaner, safer engine technologies available to
millions of citizens in the global south,” said C40 Executive Director,
Mark Watts. “This is yet another example of cities and the private
sector working together to tackle the most urgent challenges that we
face.”

“Air pollution is the leading environmental health risk today affecting
millions of people, particularly those in our growing cities. This
agreement between some of the world’s leading bus manufacturers and some
of the biggest cities in the world is an example of forward thinking
private and public cooperation,” said Erik Solheim, Executive Director
of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Investment in technology,
products, and business models that benefits people and our environment
isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for business.”